Princeton Hit Parade SAT (freshman to senior)

obscure (adj.)

unclear; clouded; partially hidden; hard to understand

revere (v.)

to worship; to honor

candid (adj.)

honest; frank

discern (v.)

to distinguish one thing from the other

hypocritical (adj.)

insincere

eccentric (adj.)

odd; unusual; quirky

provincial (adj.)

narrow-minded; unsophisticated

apprehensive (adj.)

fearful; worried

resignation (n)

acceptance of a situation

resolution (n.)

determination; a solution to a problem

servile (adj.)

overly submissive; cringing; like a servant

virulent (adj.)

very harmful (like a virus)

miser (n.)

one who saves greedily

discord (n.)

disagreement

perceptive (adj.)

having a keen understanding; discerning

superficial (adj.)

on the surface; shallow

contempt (n.)

to think little of someone

prodigal (adj.)

extravagant; wasteful

censor (n.)

one who deletes objectionable matter

complacent (adj.)

smug; self-satisfied

eloquence (n.)

expressiveness; fluency in speaking or writing

virtue (n.)

moral excellence

monotonous (adj.)

without variety; tiresomely uniform

provocative (adj.)

exciting; attracting attention

depravity (n.)

moral corruption

banal (adj.)

common; dull; ordinary

extol (v.)

to praise

euphony (n.)

pleasant sound (opposite of cacophony)

insipid (adj.)

bland; boring; tasteless

indulgent (adj.)

pampering oneself; satisfying desires

austere (adj.)

severe; without frills

expedite (expedient) (v.)

to make faster or easier

heresy (n.)

an opinion violently opposed to established beliefs

censure (v.)

to blame; to criticize

arbitrary (adj.)

subject to individual judgment

solicit (v.)

to ask for; to seek

condescend (v.)

to talk down to

taciturn (adj.)

quiet; saying little

compatible (adj.)

able to co-exist; harmonious

elusive (adj.)

tough to catch; hard to pin down

flagrant (adj.)

shocking; outstandingly bad

dogmatic (adj.)

stubbornly opinionated

exhaustive (adj.)

thorough; complete

reticent (adj.)

quiet; uncommunicative

deference (n.)

respectful regard

vacillate (v.)

to waver between choices

fervor (n.)

passion; zeal

didactic (adj.)

instructive

scanty (adj.)

inadequate; minimal

conspicuous (adj.)

easily seen; out in the open

relegate (v.)

to dismiss to an inferior position

incessant (adj.)

unceasing; never ending

condone (v.)

To forgive or overlook

conciliate (v.)

to soothe; to end a dispute; to reconcile

disparity (n.)

inequality; difference

disparage (v.)

to speak badly of; belittle

ephemeral (adj.)

short-lived; fleeting; transitory

prosaic (adj.)

uninspired; dull; banal

profuse (adj.)

flowing freely; generous; excessive

expedient (adj.)

useful for effecting a desired result

fastidious (adj.)

not easy to please; overly critical

astute (adj.)

perceptive; crafty

languid (adj.)

slow; tired; drooping; weak

relevant (adj.)

pertinent; important to know

reprehensible (adj.)

shameful; bad

engender (v.)

to create; to produce

deride (v.)

to ridicule; to make fun of

lethargic (adj.)

tired; languid; weak

fanatic (n.)

one who is extremely devoted to a cause or idea

augment (v.)

to add; to increase; to make bigger

indolence (n.)

laziness

ambivalent (adj.)

undecided

benign (adj.)

harmless

caustic (adj.)

burning; uncomplimentary

laud (v.)

to praise

acquiesce (v.)

to agree finally

atrophy (v.)

to waste away from lack of use

instigate (v.)

to start trouble

heed (v.)

to listen to

deplete (v.)

to use up; reduce

inadvertent (adj.)

lax; careless; without intention

levity (n.)

humor

digress (v.)

deviate from main idea

lax (adj.)

loose; not strict or exact

esoteric (adj.)

known to only a few; private

scrupulous (adj.)

extremely careful; exact; punctilious

slander (n.)

words used to malign or distort the truth

emulate (v.)

to strive to excel over another

immutable (adj.)

unchangeable

saccharine (adj.)

too sweet

volatile (adj.)

changeable; fickle

animosity (n.)

hatred

trepidation (n.)

fear

supercilious (adj.)

haughty

appease (v.)

to pacify; to calm

fickle (adj.)

changeable

preclude (v.)

to make impossible; to prevent

innocuous (adj.)

harmless

incongruous (adj.)

inconsistent; not conforming

rescind (v.)

to revoke; to cancel