1000 Most Common SAT Words Review

A comprehensive collection of 150 high-frequency SAT vocabulary words selected from the 1000 Most Common list, including definitions for terms ranging from 'abase' to 'zephyr.'

abase

to humiliate, degrade

abate

to reduce, lessen

abdicate

to give up a position, usually one of leadership

aberration

something that differs from the norm

abhor

to hate, detest

abject

wretched, pitiful

abnegation

denial of comfort to oneself

abstruse

hard to comprehend

acclaim

high praise

accolade

high praise, special distinction

accost

to confront verbally

acumen

keen insight

adamant

impervious, immovable, unyielding

adroit

skillful, dexterous

adulation

extreme praise

adumbrate

to sketch out in a vague way

affable

friendly, amiable

aggrandize

to increase or make greater

alacrity

eagerness, speed

amalgamate

to bring together, unite

ambivalent

having opposing feelings

ameliorate

to improve

anachronistic

being out of correct chronological order

anomaly

something that does not fit into the normal order

antediluvian

ancient

antipathy

a strong dislike, repugnance

antithesis

the absolute opposite

apocryphal

fictitious, false, wrong

approbation

praise

arbiter

one who can resolve a dispute, make a decision

assiduous

hard-working, diligent

astute

very clever, crafty

atrophy

to wither away, decay

audacious

excessively bold

avarice

excessive greed

banal

dull, commonplace

beguile

to trick, deceive

benevolent

marked by goodness or doing good

benign

favorable, not threatening, mild

boisterous

loud and full of energy

cacophony

tremendous noise, disharmonious sound

cajole

to urge, coax

callous

harsh, cold, unfeeling

calumny

an attempt to spoil someone else’s reputation by spreading lies

candor

honesty, frankness

capricious

subject to whim, fickle

cerebral

related to the intellect

circumspect

cautious

clandestine

secret

cloying

sickeningly sweet

cogent

intellectually convincing

complacency

self-satisfied ignorance of danger

contrite

penitent, eager to be forgiven

conundrum

puzzle, problem

cupidity

greed, strong desire

dearth

a lack, scarcity

debacle

a disastrous failure, disruption

demagogue

a leader who appeals to a people’s prejudices

depravity

wickedness

deride

to laugh at mockingly, scorn

desiccated

dried up, dehydrated

despondent

feeling depressed, discouraged, hopeless

diffident

shy, quiet, modest

discursive

rambling, lacking order

dither

to be indecisive

docile

easily taught or trained

ebullient

extremely lively, enthusiastic

eclectic

consisting of a diverse variety of elements

egregious

extremely bad

enervate

to weaken, exhaust

ephemeral

short-lived, fleeting

equanimity

composure

esoteric

understood by only a select few

exacerbate

to make more violent, intense

exculpate

to free from guilt or blame, exonerate

fastidious

meticulous, demanding, having high and often unattainable standards

feral

wild, savage

fortitude

strength, guts

garrulous

talkative, wordy

gregarious

drawn to the company of others, sociable

hackneyed

unoriginal, trite

hegemony

domination over others

iconoclast

one who attacks common beliefs or institutions

immutable

not changeable

impetuous

rash; hastily done

inchoate

unformed or formless, in a beginning stage

indomitable

not capable of being conquered

insatiable

incapable of being satisfied

insidious

appealing but imperceptibly harmful, seductive

intrepid

brave in the face of danger

inure

to cause someone or something to become accustomed to a situation

juxtaposition

the act of placing two things next to each other for implicit comparison

laconic

terse in speech or writing

largess

the generous giving of lavish gifts

lethargic

in a state of sluggishness or apathy

limpid

clear, transparent

magnanimous

noble, generous

malleable

capable of being shaped or transformed

maverick

an independent, nonconformist person

mendacious

having a lying, false character