SAT VOCAB LIST 1+2

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.