sat list 7 + 8

staccato

Used to describe musical notes that are short and separate when played.

giddy

Dizzy.

ablution

The act of washing yourself.

filch

To steal something of little value.

depose

To remove someone important from a powerful position.

pander

To give someone anything they want in order to please them, even if it seems unreasonable.

relish

To like or enjoy something.

pretentious

Trying to appear or sound more important or clever than you are.

cameo

A small but noticeable part in a film or play, performed by a famous actor.

attrition

Gradually making something weaker and destroying it.

abundant

More than enough.

bluff

To deceive someone by making them think you will do something when you have no intention.

epoch

A long period of time, especially one with new developments.

catalyst

Something that makes a chemical reaction happen more quickly.

smolder

To burn slowly without flame.

rapacious

Having or showing a strong wish to take things unfairly.

valid

Based on truth or reason; able to be accepted.

odious

Extremely unpleasant and deserving hate.

bicker

To argue about unimportant things.

cumbersome

Awkward because of being large or ineffective.

adorn

To add something decorative.

prim

Very formal and correct in behavior.

pert

Attractively small and firm (often describing a part of the body).

piebald

(Of an animal) having a pattern of two different colors, especially black and white.

don

A lecturer, especially at Oxford or Cambridge.

fracas

A noisy argument or fight.

incorporeal

Not having a physical body but a spiritual form.

plummet

To fall very quickly and suddenly.

indisputable

True, and impossible to doubt.

charisma

A special power to influence others naturally.

chicanery

Clever, dishonest talk or behavior.

encumber

To weigh someone or something down.

infirmity

Illness, especially due to old age.

ebb

When the sea or tide moves away from the coast.

trite

Expressed too often to be interesting.

fervent

Strongly and sincerely felt.

theoretical

Based on ideas, not practical uses.

amble

To walk in a slow and relaxed way.

incandescent

Producing a bright light from a heated source.

chastise

To criticize someone severely.

secrete

(Of animals or plants) to produce and release a liquid.

ribald

Referring to sex in a rude but humorous way.

soliloquy

A speech in a play where a character speaks to themselves or the audience.

profusion

An extremely large amount of something.

extant

Still existing (used for very old things).

travail

An unpleasant experience involving hard work or suffering.

smelt

Past tense of "smell."

coterie

A small group of people with shared interests.

vertex

(In math) the point where two lines meet to form an angle.

mobile

Moving or walking around freely.

talisman

An object believed to bring good luck.

draconian

Extremely severe (e.g., laws).

mishap

Bad luck or an unlucky event.

attribute

A quality or characteristic.

attest

To show or prove that something is true.

demystify

To make something easier to understand.

excoriate

To harshly criticize.

inconsequential

Not important.

discrepancy

A difference between two things that should be the same.

depreciate

To lose value over time.

plagiarize

To use another person's work and pretend it is your own.

discord

The state of not agreeing.

entail

To make something necessary.

exegesis

An explanation of a text, especially the Bible.

privation

A lack of basic necessities for living.

explicit

Clear and exact.

nicety

A small detail or difference.

lurk

To wait or move secretly.

exorcise

To force an evil spirit to leave a person or place.

ruminate

To think carefully for a long time.

lilliputian

Extremely small.

histrionic

Very emotional but not sincere.

climactic

Forming a very exciting part of an event or story.

vilify

To say unpleasant things to cause others to dislike someone.

omnivorous

Naturally able to eat both plants and meat.

fortitude

Courage over a long period.

redolent

Smelling strongly of something.

defray

(Of an organization) to pay the cost of something.

malefactor

A person who does bad or illegal things.

random

Happening by chance.

deference

Respect and politeness.

empathy

The ability to share someone else's feelings.

accessory

Something added for usefulness or decoration.

denouement

The end of a story where everything is explained.

servile

Too eager to serve and please someone.

ossify

To become fixed and unable to change.

inevitable

Certain to happen and unable to be avoided.

ultimate

Most extreme or important.

dank

Wet, cold, and unpleasant.

halting

Stopping often while speaking or doing something.

penury

The state of being extremely poor.

prominent

Very well known and important.

array

A large group of things or people.

taciturn

Tending not to speak much.

expropriate

To take away property for public use without payment.

antithesis

The exact opposite.

flux

Continuous change.

throes

Experiencing something difficult or painful.

gratis

Free.

exemplify

To be a typical example of something.