Most Common SAT Vocab Words (No examples)

abase

(v.) to humiliate, degrade; belittle, demean

abate

(v.) to lessen or reduce; subside, dwindle

abduct

(v.) to kidnap or seize by force; snatch, carry off

probity

(n.) honesty and integrity; uprightness, virtue

abdicate

(v.) to give up power; resign, relinquish

antipathy

(n.) a strong dislike; aversion, hostility

apocryphal

(adj.) of doubtful authenticity; false, dubious

aversion

(n.) strong dislike; loathing, repulsion

camaraderie

(n.) mutual trust among friends; fellowship, companionship

cavort

(v.) to leap or dance around excitedly; frolic, romp

chaos

(n.) complete disorder or confusion; turmoil, mayhem

chide

(v.) to mildly scold; rebuke, lecture

clemency

(n.) mercy or leniency; forgiveness, compassion

collusion

(n.) secret cooperation for deceit; conspiracy, complicity

combustion

(n.) act of burning; ignition, explosion

concealed

(adj.) hidden or kept secret; covered, disguised

concord

(n.) agreement or harmony; peace, unity

confidant

(n.) a trusted person; friend, adviser

contravene

(v.) to violate or go against; breach, oppose

covert

(adj.) secret or hidden; concealed, undercover

cupidity

(n.) greed for money or possessions; avarice, materialism

debauch

(v.) to corrupt morally; seduce, deprave

debunk

(v.) to expose as false; disprove, refute

demagogue

(n.) a leader who appeals to emotions and prejudice; agitator, firebrand

demarcation

(n.) a boundary or distinction; separation, division

dilatory

(adj.) slow or delaying; sluggish, procrastinating

dispatch

(v.) to send off quickly; transmit, deliver

dissipate

(v.) to scatter or vanish; dissolve, disappear

dither

(v.) to hesitate or be indecisive; waver, falter

divisive

(adj.) causing disagreement or division; polarizing, controversial

embellish

(v.) to decorate or add details; adorn, exaggerate

empirical

(adj.) based on observation or experience; experimental, factual

erudite

(adj.) having deep scholarly knowledge; learned, educated

evince

(v.) to show clearly; reveal, display

exacerbate

(v.) to make worse; aggravate, intensify

facile

(adj.) superficial or easily achieved; simplistic, effortless

fetid

(adj.) foul-smelling; stinky, putrid

genial

(adj.) friendly and cheerful; warm, pleasant

goad

(v.) to provoke or urge; prod, incite

hapless

(adj.) unlucky or unfortunate; jinxed, ill-fated

hegemony

(n.) dominance or leadership; control, supremacy

imperceptible

(adj.) barely noticeable; subtle, faint

increment

(n.) an increase or addition; rise, gain

indecipherable

(adj.) impossible to read or understand; unreadable, unintelligible

indolent

(adj.) lazy or avoiding effort; idle, sluggish

ineffable

(adj.) too great to be expressed; indescribable, overwhelming

inexorable

(adj.) impossible to stop or persuade; relentless, unyielding

insatiable

(adj.) impossible to satisfy; greedy, ravenous

inveterate

(adj.) firmly established by habit; habitual, chronic

irascible

(adj.) easily angered; irritable, hot-tempered

irrevocable

(adj.) cannot be changed; irreversible, final

larceny

(n.) theft of personal property; robbery, stealing

ostentatious

(adj.) showy or flashy; pretentious, flamboyant

paucity

(n.) scarcity or lack; shortage, deficiency

prolific

(adj.) highly productive; fruitful, creative

scathing

(adj.) severely critical; harsh, biting

sobriety

(n.) seriousness or self-restraint; abstinence, solemnity

sophomoric

(adj.) immature or juvenile; naive, superficial

turgid

(adj.) swollen or pompous; inflated

vindictive

(adj.) seeking revenge; spiteful

aberration

(n.) a deviation from the norm; anomaly, irregularity

abet

(v.) to assist in wrongdoing; aid, encourage

abhor

(v.) to hate deeply; detest, loathe

abide

(v.) to tolerate or follow; accept, obey

abject

(adj.) hopeless and miserable; wretched, degraded

abjure

(v.) to formally reject; renounce, forswear

abnegation

(n.) self-denial; renunciation, rejection

abort

(v.) to terminate early; cancel, halt

abridge

(v.) to shorten; condense, trim

abrogate

(v.) to cancel by authority; repeal, annul

abrupt

(adj.) sudden or curt; hasty, blunt

abscond

(v.) to run away secretly; flee, bolt

absolution

(n.) formal forgiveness; pardon, mercy

abstain

(v.) to hold back voluntarily; refrain, avoid

abstruse

(adj.) difficult to understand; obscure, puzzling

accede

(v.) to agree or comply; consent, yield

accentuate

(v.) to emphasize or highlight; stress, underscore

accessible

(adj.) easy to reach or understand; available, approachable

accessory

(n.) a supplementary item; add-on, ornament

acclaim

(v.) to praise publicly; applaud, commend

accolade

(n.) an award or honor; praise, recognition

accommodating

(adj.) willing to help; obliging, cooperative

accord

(n.) agreement or harmony; consensus, unity

accost

(v.) to approach aggressively; confront, hassle

account for

(v.) to explain or justify; clarify, rationalize

accretion

(n.) gradual growth; buildup, accumulation

acerbic

(adj.) sharp or bitter in tone; harsh, sarcastic

acquiesce

(v.) to give in passively; comply, yield

acrimony

(n.) bitterness or hostility; resentment, rancor

acumen

(n.) keen insight or skill; shrewdness, expertise

acute

(adj.) sharp or severe; intense, keen

adamant

(adj.) unyielding or firm; stubborn, resolute

adept

(adj.) highly skilled; proficient, expert

adhere

(v.) to stick to or follow; cling, comply

admonish

(v.) to warn or scold; reprimand, caution

adorn

(v.) to decorate or beautify; embellish, garnish

adroit

(adj.) skillful and clever; adept, nimble

adulation

(n.) excessive praise; flattery, worship

adulterate

(v.) to make impure; contaminate, dilute

adumbrate

(v.) to foreshadow or suggest; outline, hint