Top 100 SAT Words

abate

become less in amount or intensity

abdicate

give up power, duties, or obligations

aberration

a state or condition markedly different from the norm

abstain

refrain from doing, consuming, or partaking in something

adversity

a state of misfortune or affliction

aesthetic

characterized by an appreciation of beauty or good taste

amicable

characterized by friendship and good will

anachronistic

chronologically misplaced

arid

lacking sufficient water or rainfall

asylum

a shelter from danger or hardship

benevolent

showing or motivated by sympathy and understanding

bias

a partiality preventing objective consideration of an issue

boisterous

marked by exuberance and high spirits

brazen

not held back by conventional ideas of behavior

brusque

rudely abrupt or blunt in speech or manner

camaraderie

the quality of affording easy familiarity and sociability

canny

showing self-interest and shrewdness in dealing with others

capacious

large in the amount that can be contained

capitulate

surrender under agreed conditions

clairvoyant

someone who can perceive things not present to the senses

collaborate

work together on a common enterprise or project

compassion

a deep awareness of and sympathy for another's suffering

compromise

an accommodation in which both sides make concessions

condescending

characteristic of those who treat others with arrogance

conditional

imposing or depending on or containing an assumption

conformist

someone who follows established standards of conduct

conundrum

a difficult problem

convergence

the act of coming closer

deleterious

harmful to living things

demagogue

a leader who seeks support by appealing to popular passions

digression

a message that departs from the main subject

diligent

quietly and steadily persevering in detail or exactness

discredit

the state of being held in low esteem

disdain

lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike

divergent

tending to move apart in different directions

empathy

understanding and entering into another's feelings

emulate

strive to equal or match, especially by imitating

enervating

causing weakness or debilitation

ephemeral

anything short-lived, as an insect that lives only for a day

evanescent

short-lived; tending to vanish or disappear

exemplary

worthy of imitation

extenuating

partially excusing or justifying

florid

elaborately or excessively ornamented

forbearance

a delay in enforcing rights or claims or privileges

fortitude

strength of mind that enables one to endure adversity

fortuitous

lucky; occurring by happy chance

foster

providing nurture though not related by blood or legal ties

fraught

filled with or attended with

frugal

avoiding waste

hackneyed

repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse

haughty

having or showing arrogant superiority

hedonist

someone motivated by desires for sensual pleasures

hypothesis

a tentative insight that is not yet verified or tested

impetuous

characterized by undue haste and lack of thought

impute

attribute or credit to

inconsequential

lacking worth or importance

inevitable

incapable of being avoided or prevented

intrepid

invulnerable to fear or intimidation

intuitive

spontaneously derived from or prompted by a natural tendency

jubilation

a feeling of extreme joy

lobbyist

someone who is employed to persuade how legislators vote

longevity

the property of having lived for a considerable time

mundane

found in the ordinary course of events

nonchalant

marked by casual unconcern or indifference

opulent

rich and superior in quality

orator

a person who delivers a speech

ostentatious

intended to attract notice and impress others

parched

extremely thirsty

perfidious

tending to betray

pragmatic

concerned with practical matters

precocious

characterized by exceptionally early development

pretentious

creating an appearance of importance or distinction

procrastinate

waste time or postpone doing what one should be doing

prosaic

prosperity

the condition of having good fortune

provocative

serving or tending to excite or stimulate

prudent

marked by sound judgment

querulous

habitually complaining

rancorous

showing deep-seated resentment

reclusive

withdrawn from society; seeking solitude

reconciliation

the reestablishment of cordial relations

renovation

the act of improving by renewing and restoring

restrained

under control

reverence

a feeling of profound respect for someone or something

sagacity

the trait of having wisdom and good judgment

scrutinize

examine carefully for accuracy

spontaneous

said or done without having been planned in advance

spurious

plausible but false

submissive

inclined or willing to give in to orders or wishes of others

substantiate

establish or strengthen as with new evidence or facts

subtle

difficult to detect or grasp by the mind or analyze

superficial

of, affecting, or being on or near the surface

superfluous

more than is needed, desired, or required

surreptitious

marked by quiet and caution and secrecy

tactful

having a sense of what is considerate in dealing with others

tenacious

stubbornly unyielding

transient

lasting a very short time

venerable

profoundly honored

vindicate

show to be right by providing justification or proof

wary

marked by keen caution and watchful prudence