DSAT Words 2

inviolate

unalterable; not harmed or violated; free or safe from injury or violation.

intemperate

efficacy

syndicate

a group of individuals or organizations combined to promote some common interest.

desolation

• a state of complete emptiness or destruction

• anguished misery or loneliness

consummate

showing a high degree of skill and flair; complete or perfect.

syncopated

(of music or a rhythm) characterized by displaced beats or accents so that the strong beats are weak and vice versa.

gauche

lacking ease or grace; unsophisticated and socially awkward.

appraise

assess the value or quality of.

inchoate

just begun and so not fully formed or developed; rudimentary.

hermaphroditic

having both male and female reproductive organs, or producing both male and female gametes

analogous

comparable in certain respects, typically in a way which makes clearer the nature of the things compared.

impunity

exemption from punishment or freedom from the injurious consequences of an action.

ennui

a feeling of listlessness and dissatisfaction arising from a lack of occupation or excitement.

tenacious

• tending to keep a firm hold of something; clinging or adhering closely.

• not readily relinquishing a position, principle, or course of action; determined.

• persisting; not easily dispelled or cowardly

surreptitiously

in a way that attempts to avoid notice or attention; secretively.

levity

frivolity; a lack of seriousness, often at an improper time

acquiesced

accept something reluctantly but without protest

prurient

having or encouraging an excessive interest in sexual matters.

pedagogical

relating to teaching

nexus

a connection or link between things, persons, or events, especially that is or is part of a chain of causation

recidivism

the tendency of a convicted criminal to reoffend.

petulant

(of a person or their manner) childishly sulky or bad-tempered.

judicious

having, showing, or done with good judgment or sense.

unobtrusively

in a way that is not conspicuous or attracting attention.

androgynous

partly male and partly female in appearance; of indeterminate sex

perfunctory (December SAT)

(of an action or gesture) carried out with a minimum of effort or reflection.

punitive (December SAT)

inflicting or intended as punishment

moribunt

(of a thing) in terminal decline; lacking vitality or vigor.

decrepit

worn out or ruined because of age or neglect

clandestine

kept secret or done secretively, especially because illicit.

opine

hold and state as one’s opinion

“underscores”

emphasizes! (in SAT context)

exalting

hold (someone or something) in very high regard; think or speak very highly of.

spangled

sparkling

felicitate

to congratulate or honor someone

deride

to ridicule or mock someone in a contemptuous manner

tepid

• showing little enthusiasm

• moderately warm; lukewarm

fop

a man who is excessively concerned with his appearance and fashion.

voluptuary

a person whose life is devoted to the pursuit of pleasure and luxury.

egocentric

thinking only of oneself; self-centered.

incandescent

• emitting light as a result of being heated

• full of strong emotion; passionate

disabuse

to free or correct someone from a mistaken or misguided notion

ameliorate

make (something bad or unsatisfactory) better.

pretentious

attempting to impress by affecting greater importance, talent, culture, etc., than is actually possessed.

contend

• struggle to surmount (a difficulty or danger)

• assert something as a position in an argument

contention

• heated disagreement.

• an assertion, especially one maintained in argument.

formidable

inspiring fear or respect through being impressively large, powerful, intense, or capable.

compendium

a collection of information about a particular subject

disputation

• debate or argument.

• formal academic debate.

despotic

tyrannical

assiduity

constant or close attention to what one is doing.

inculcated

• instill (an attitude, idea, or habit) by persistent instruction.

• teach (someone) an attitude, idea, or habit by persistent instruction.

yeomanry

a group of men who held and cultivated small landed estates.

solecism

• a grammatical mistake in speech or writing.

• a breach of good manners; a piece of incorrect behavior.

calamity

an event causing great and often sudden damage or distress; a disaster.

sibilance

the repetition of “s” sounds in a series of neighboring words

penitence

the action of feeling or showing sorrow and regret for having done wrong; repentance

auspicious

• conducive to success; favorable.

• giving or being a sign of future success.

• characterized by success; prosperous.

constituent

a component part of something

constituency

• a body of voters in a specified area who elect a representative to a legislative body

• a body of customers or supporters

embittered

angry or resentful at having been treated unfairly

crucible

a situation of severe trial, or in which different elements interact, leading to the creation of something new.

tantalizing

• tormenting or teasing with the sight or promise of something unobtainable

• exciting one's senses or desires

desultory

lacking a plan, purpose, or enthusiasm; unfocused

derivative

multiple def’s:

• (typically of an artist or work of art) imitative of the work of another person, and usually disapproved of for that reason.

• (of a financial product) having a value deriving from an underlying variable asset

• originating from, based on, or influenced by.

• an arrangement or instrument (such as a future, option, or warrant) whose value derives from and is dependent on the value of an underlying asset

• something that is based on another source.

intrinsic

belonging naturally; essential.

facetious

treating serious issues with deliberately inappropriate humor; flippant.

anomalous

deviating from what is standard, normal, or expected

contentious

causing or likely to cause an argument; controversial

supervene

to occur later than a specified or implied event or action, typically in such a way as to change the situation

impotency

lack of power or ability; inability to take action.

“red herring”

a term used to describe something, such as a clue, that is intended to be misleading or distracting. Also, it is also a play on the word “red,” as the color is often associated with communism.

graft

practices, especially bribery, used to secure illicit gains in politics or business; corruption

blasphemy

the act or offense of speaking sacrilegiously about sacred things

supercilious

contemptuous; having or showing arrogant superiority

conscientious

characterized by extreme care and great effort

reciprocal

concerning each of two or more persons or things

complacent

contented to a fault with oneself or one's actions

infinite

having no limits or boundaries in time or space

intimation

a slight suggestion or vague understanding

contiguous

having a common boundary or edge

facet

a distinct feature or element in a problem

cower

crouch or curl up

interpose

introduce

apathetic

indifferent; showing little or no emotion or animation

languid

lacking spirit or liveliness

imply

express or state indirectly

strident

unpleasantly loud and harsh

innuendo

an indirect and usually malicious implication

erroneous

containing or characterized by mistakes

vehement

marked by extreme intensity of emotions or convictions

cordial

politely warm and friendly

vacuous

devoid of matter

corpulent

excessively large

din

a loud, harsh, or strident noise

sporadic

recurring in scattered or unpredictable instances

elicit

call forth, as an emotion, feeling, or response

valour

the qualities of a hero or heroine

somnambulate

walk in one’s sleep