SAT Greatest Hits

adhere

adhere

(v) to believe in and follow the practice of

advocate

(v) to publicly recommend or support

allude

(v) to suggest or call attention to indirectly; to hint at

ambivalence

(n) the state of having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone

analogous

(adj) comparable in certain respects, typically in a way which makes clearer the nature of things being compared

anecdote

(n) a short amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person

apprehensive

(adj) anxious or fearful that something bad or unpleasant will happen

arbitrary

(adj) based on random choice or personal whim, rather than any reason or system

assert

(v) to state a fact or belief confidently and forcefully

bias

(n) prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually in a way considered to be unfair

brevity

(n) concise and exact use of words in writing or speech

buttress

(v) to increase the strength of or justification for; to reinforce

concede

(v) to admit that something is true or valid after first denying or resisting it

consensus

(n) a general agreement

corroborate

(v) to confirm or give support to (a statement, theory, or finding)

decisive

(adj) settling an issue; producing a definite result

deference

(n) humble submission and respect

degrade

(v) to treat or regard (someone) with contempt or disrespect

denounce

(v) to publicly declare to be wrong or evil

dispute

(n) a disagreement, argument, or debate

divergent

(adj) tending to be different or develop in different directions

dormant

(adk) having normal physical functions suspended or slowed down for a period of time; in or as if in a deep sleep

eloquent

(adj) fluent or persuasive in speaking or writing

evoke

(v) to bring or recall to the conscious mind

exert

(v) to make a physical or mental effort

explicit

(adj) stated clearly and in detail, leaving no room for confusion or doubt

imminent

(adj) about to happen

impede

(v) to delay or prevent (someone or something) by obstructing; to hinder

implicit

(adj) implied but not plainly expressed

impose

(v) to take advantage of someone by demanding attention or commitment

indifference

(n) lack of interest, concern, or sympathy

inevitable

(adj) certain to happen, unavoidable

invoke

(adj) to cite or appeal to (someone or something) as an authority for an action or in support of an argument

ironic

(adj) happening the opposite way from what is expected and typically causing amusement because of this

novel

(adj) new or unusual in an interesting way

obscure

(adj) not discovered or known about; uncertain

obsolete

(adj) no longer produced or used; out of date

oppressive

(adj) unjustly inflicting hardship and constraint; weighing heavily on the mind or spirits

pervasive

(adj) spreading widely throughout an area or a group of people, especially in an unpleasant way

prevalence

(noun) the fact or condition of being prevalent; commonness

prominent

(adj) important; famous

provoke

(v) to stimulate or give rise to a reaction or emotion, typically a strong or unwelcome one in someone

reciprocate

(v) to respond to (a gesture or action) by making a corresponding one

reconcile

(v) to restore friendly relations between

refute

(v) to prove (a statement or theory) to be wrong or false; disprove

renounce

(v) to formally declare one’s abandonment of (a claim, right, or possession)

repression

(n) the restraint, prevention, or inhibition of a feeling, quality, etc.

retain

(v) to continue to have (something); keep possession of

skeptical

(adj) not easily convinced; having doubts or reservations

speculate

(v) to form a theory or conjecture about a subject without firm evidence

substantiate

(v) to provide evidence to support or prove the truth of

subtle

(adj) so delicate or precise as to be difficult to analyze or describe

supplement

(n) something that completes or enhances something else when added to it

tenuous

(adj) very weak or slight

undermine

(v) to lessen the effectiveness, power, or ability of

underscore

(v) to emphasize or draw attention to

unobtrusive

(adj) not conspicuous or attracting attention

validate

(v) to check or prove the validity or accuracy of (something)

verisimilitude

(n) the appearance of being true or real

viable

(adj) capable of working successfully; feasible