SAT VOCAB LIST 1+2 +3

aberration

deviating from the right path or usual course of action; a mental disorder, especially of a minor or temporary nature. We were convinced that Ed’s poor test marks were an ______, and that he would do better the next time. 

belittle

to make something seem less important. The purpose of much campaign oratory is to ___ your opponent’s record.

cache

a hiding place; something hidden in a hiding place. Police searched in vain for the ___of jewels which the thieves had skillfully concealed.

dearth

shortage. The ___of citrus fruits led to a host of illnesses. 

ebb

to decline  Investors watched their fortunes ___as the stock market plunged to a  new low. 

facilitate

to make easy; to bring about. To ___ our move, the company sent a crew to crate all of the furniture. 

galvanize

to arouse suddenly; to startle. It took a mishap at Chernobyl to ___ the peace movement into protesting vigorousl

hackneyed

 – used too often; trite; commonplace. Creative writers cringe when they hear egregiously ____ expressions. 

iconoclast

 a person who attacks cherished beliefs or established institutions. When she shook up the conservative firm, Gloria earned the reputation of being an ______. 

jargon

the specialized vocabulary of members of a group. The club members adopted a _____ that made them feel exclusive.

 kindle;

to ignite; to arouse or inspire; to catch fire; to become aroused. With the wind blowing furiously, Ted found it difficult to _____a fire

 labyrinth

a maze; a complicated, perplexing arrangement or course of affairs. Once inside the cave, the searchers were confronted with a ___ that defied them to find the route to the wounded explorer. 

malicious;

spiteful; intentional mischievous or harmful. The ____ man lead  the widow through a labyrinth or schemes to deprive her of her fortune. 

nomenclature

a systematic naming in an art or science. The _____ can be quickly mastered by using memory devices

fatuous 

stupid, not correct, or not carefully thought about;  silly. But as we all know from experience, the inarticulate can be shrewd, the fluent ____

abstinence

the giving up of certain pleasures such as food or drink. Myra’s____ from cake, candy, and ice cream led to a dramatic weight loss. 

bequeath

to leave money or property by a will; to pass along. The austere, old tightwad  would not ___even one penny to charity.

cacophony

discord; harsh sound. While we sought harmony, our enemies were pleased with__

debilitate

verb – to weaken. The cruel jailer starved his prisoners in order to ____them

eclectic

onsisting of selections from various sources. With an ___interest in books, Sheila collected everything from Shakespeare to Superman.

fallacy 

false idea; mistaken belief. The economist revealed the ___in the government’s proposal. 

garbled 

confused; mixed up. The ___ message failed to facilitate the ambulance’s arrival.

haphazard 

not planned; random. Taking ___aim, the hunter committed a fatal error.

immaterial

insignificant; unimportant. The prosecutor objected to the attorney’s exhibit, disparaging it as amateurish and ____

judicious

wise; careful; showing sound judgment, prudent. Gary thought it more ___ to speak to his mother rather than his father about extending his curfew time.

lackluster

adjective – lacking brightness; dull; lacking liveliness, vitality, or enthusiasm. His ___ response to our suggestions made us lose our initial enthusiasm.

marred 

 injured; spoiled; damaged; disfigured. The fight in the corridor ____Lorna’s otherwise perfect record as a model student. 

 nonchalance

carelessness; lack of interest or concern. Edward’s____ about his studies made it difficult to lampoon him about his poor showing in the midterm exams.

obscure

adjective – not clear or distinct; hidden; remote; not well known. Far from the well traveled highway was an ____ village that seemed to belong to another age.

painstaking

very careful, diligent. Researchers are engaged in a _____effort to  find a vaccine against the AIDS virus.

abstract

adjective – theoretical, not applied or practical; not concrete; hard to understand. I prefer realistic art to ___- paintings, which are totally confusing to me. 

bizarre

adjective – strikingly odd in appearance or style; grotesque. The beggar’s ___ street behavior alerted the police to question her. 

cajole

verb – to persuade by pleasant words or false promises. First he tried to ____the witness into testifying, then he used threats. 

decadence

noun – decay; decline. Many sermons tend to focus on the moral ____ in our time. 

efface

verb – to wipe out; to erase. A devious attempt to ___ the signature didn’t fool the bank teller. 

fastidious

; adjective – hard to please; dainty in taste. Everett was so ___hat his messy fraternity brothers refused to room with him. 

 garner;

verb – to gather and store away; to collect. By paying close attention, you may be able to ___some information will elucidate the situation. 

hedonist

; noun – one who lives solely for pleasure. Abandoning her lifestyle as a ___, Maria entered a convent.

imminent

djective – about to occur. The ominous clouds told us that a storm was____. 

laconic

; adjective – brief or terse in speech; using few words. The tense situation  called for a ____ reply, not a lengthy exposition. 

 meager

; adjective – thin; lean; of poor quality or small amount. The visiting team lampooned the ___ dinner served by their hosts. 

obsolete

 adjective – out-of-date. Propeller planes have become ____. 

pariah

noun – an outcast. The Western mind finds it difficult to accept the idea of a  ____ class. 

quandary;

noun – condition of being doubtful or confused. The benefits and dangers of a nuclear plant leave us in a _____.

raconteur

noun – a person skilled at telling stories or anecdotes. Comedians and  masters of ceremonies must be consummate _____.