400 SAT VOCAB

aesthetic

concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty.

undermine

to damage or weaken the foundation; sabotage.

profound

having great depth or insight.

refute

to prove false; overthrow by argument.

skeptical

doubtful; disbelieving.

ambivalent

having mixed feelings.

hostile

unfriendly; having ill will.

condemn

to express strong disapproval of.

assert

to confidently make a statement.

nostalgia

a longing for the past.

pretense

a false appearance or action intended to deceive.

cynical

wary of people's motives; believing people are selfish.

obscure

unclear; hard to perceive.

convention

accepted tradition or practice.

contempt

a feeling that someone is inferior or worthless; scorn.

foster

to bring up; nurture.

pragmatic

practical; concerned with usefulness in the real world.

revere

to regard with respect and awe.

anecdote

short personal story.

disparage

to speak of someone in a disrespectful way; belittle.

exemplary

perfect; worthy of following.

substantiate

to support with proof; verify.

trivial

of little significance or value; unimportant.

depict

to represent in words; describe.

indifferent

having no concern; uncaring; apathetic.

anthropology

the study of humans and society.

futile

useless or ineffective; having no useful result.

indignant

filled with anger and resentment.

reconcile

to settle or resolve; to unite.

sarcasm

a cutting, ironic remark to mock something.

abstract

theoretical; difficult to understand.

advocate

to support a cause or position.

ambiguous

unclear; open to interpretation.

eccentric

weird or odd; having a wacky personality.

implausible

hard to believe; unrealistic.

intemperate

having no self-control; reckless and wasteful.

plausible

believable; credible.

rhetoric

the art of using language effectively and persuasively.

rigorous

extremely thorough, exhaustive, or accurate.

subtle

difficult to detect or describe.

temperate

having self-control; exercising moderation.

archaeological

related to the study of people and their history.

arrogant

having a sense of superiority or self-importance.

complacent

self-satisfied to the point of being unconcerned.

embellish

to make beautiful; to decorate.

evoke

to bring forth or call to mind, especially feelings.

immodest

lacking humility or decency.

modest

humble.

prudent

wise in handling practical matters; having good judgment.

suppress

to put an end to forcibly; bring under control.

vindicate

to clear from accusation, blame or suspicion.

deride

to treat with ridicule or contempt.

diligent

hard working.

disdain

to treat with contempt; despise.

empathy

an understanding of another's situation and feelings.

erroneous

mistaken.

fundamental

basic; elementary.

improvise

to invent or perform with no preparation.

mundane

everyday and dull; boring.

naive

showing a lack of experience, wisdom, or judgment.

superficial

shallow; having no depth of character.

whimsical

playful and fanciful; imaginative; childlike.

alleviate

to relieve from pain.

antagonize

to cause someone to become hostile or unfriendly.

bolster

to support or build up something.

capricious

impulsive and unpredictable.

convoluted

complicated or confusing.

digress

to stray from the main topic.

diminish

to make smaller; to reduce.

dispute

to argue about; debate.

dubious

having doubts; undecided.

eloquent

having persuasiveness and expressiveness as a communicator.

indulge

to give in to desires excessively, esp. with food or drink.

precedent

an earlier case or event that is now considered a guide for similar cases.

reprehensible

blameworthy; terrible.

resilient

able to withstand difficulty; flexible.

satire

the use of humor, exaggeration, or irony to mock something or someone.

underscore

to emphasize.

vulnerable

open to injury or attack; lacking protection.

amiable

friendly.

astute

wise; shrewd.

benevolent

kind; charitable.

bewilder

to confuse or baffle someone.

coherent

clear and logical; makes sense.

commend

to praise someone.

elite

considered to be superior or the best.

generalization

a general statement based on specific cases.

impetuous

acting or done quickly without thought or care.

negligent

failing to take proper care in doing something.

phenomenon

a remarkable event/situation that is observed to exist.

presumption

having a particular attitude or assumption as a basis.

reticent

quiet and reserved.

scorn

contempt; hatred; feeling that someone is worthless.

scrutinize

to examine or inspect closely and thoroughly.

somber

gloomy and sad.

tyranny

cruel and oppressive government or rule.

acquire

to buy or obtain for oneself.

aspiration

a hope or ambition of achieving something.

augment

to make something greater by adding to it.

avid

having a deep interest in or enthusiasm for something, esp. a hobby.