IVY SAT VOCAB SET 1

abstruse

confusing and hard to understand, The professor's ideas were so ___ that I couldn't follow his lecture.

apt

perfectly fitting or suitable, "A fish out of water" was an ___ way to describe how he felt at the fancy party.

cajole

to gently persuade someone, usually with flattery, He managed to ___ his friend into lending him the car for the weekend.

compendious

short and to the point, but still covering everything, She wrote a ___ summary of the book on a single page.

concur

to have the same opinion; to agree, After much discussion, the whole team was able to ___ on a plan.

delineate

to describe or outline something very clearly, The manager had to ___ everyone's specific duties for the project.

digress(ion)

to go off-topic when speaking or writing, The teacher would often ___ from the main lesson to tell a funny story.

elucidate

to make something clear and easy to understand, The chart helped to ___ the complex data.

embroil(ed)

to get tangled up in a conflict or difficult situation, I don't want to get ___ in their personal arguments.

empiric(al)

based on real experience or scientific tests, not just theories, Her theory was backed up by ___ evidence from her experiments.

enumerate

to list things one by one, Let me ___ all the reasons why this is a good idea.

epitome

the perfect example of something, With his kindness and generosity, he is the ___ of a good friend.

equivocal

unclear or having more than one meaning, His ___ answer made us unsure if he was for or against the plan.

exemplar

an excellent model or example for others to follow, The Nobel Prize winner is an ___ of dedication to science.

exhort

to strongly encourage or urge someone to do something, The coach stood up to ___ his team to play their best in the second half.

expedient

useful and convenient, but maybe not morally right, Taking a shortcut was an ___ way to get there faster, but it meant trespassing.

fathom

to understand something deeply, I can't ___ why she would quit such a great job.

flagrant

shockingly obvious and offensive, Lying to the judge was a ___ violation of the law.

florid(ity)

too elaborate or flowery, His speech was so ___ that it was hard to find the main point.

incongruity

the state of not fitting in; being out of place, The ___ of a clown at a serious business meeting made everyone uncomfortable.

ineffable

too amazing or overwhelming to be described in words, The view from the mountaintop was one of ___ beauty.

innuendo

(ALLUDE) a subtle hint or suggestion, usually of something improper, He spread rumors through ___ instead of stating things directly.

laconic

using very few words; brief, His ___ reply of "Fine" told us he was not happy.

lucid

clear and easy to understand, She gave a ___ explanation that everyone could follow.

nebulous

vague and unclear, He had only a ___ idea of what he wanted to do with his life.

nuance

a small, subtle difference in meaning or appearance, To be a good chef, you must understand the ___ of different spices.

paradigm

a typical example or model of something, The invention of the internet created a new ___ for communication.

prattle

to talk for a long time about silly things; to babble, I couldn't get any work done listening to the ___ of my coworkers.

pronouncement

a formal or official announcement, The king made a ___ declaring a national holiday.

proponent

someone who supports a cause or idea, He is a strong ___ of animal rights.

prosaic

dull, ordinary, and lacking imagination, The movie's plot was ___ and predictable.

rebuttal

an argument or statement that proves something is false, The lawyer delivered a powerful ___ to the prosecutor's claims.

recant

to publicly take back a statement you once made, The witness decided to ___ her testimony after being threatened.

repudiate

to reject or refuse to accept something, The company had to ___ the false claims made in the advertisement.

rescind

to officially cancel or take back a decision or law, The college decided to ___ its new, unpopular parking policy.

rhetoric(al)

language designed to be persuasive or impressive, The politician's speech was full of powerful ___ but offered no real solutions.

scrutinize

to examine something very carefully, You must ___ the contract before signing it.

simile

a comparison using "like" or "as," "He runs as fast as the wind" is a ___.

tangential

only slightly connected or related; off-topic, Her comment was ___ to the main conversation.

treatise

a long, formal piece of writing on a specific subject, The professor wrote a ___ on the causes of the Civil War.

verbose

using more words than needed; wordy, His emails were always ___ and took forever to read.

aura

the special feeling or atmosphere that surrounds a person or place, The castle had an ___ of mystery and history.

bombastic

sounding important but having little meaning, His ___ speech was full of big words but empty promises.

buoyant

cheerful and optimistic, Her ___ personality made her fun to be around.

callous

insensitive and cruel; not caring about others' feelings, His ___ comment about her mistake was very hurtful.

cantankerous(ness)

bad-tempered and argumentative, My ___ neighbor complains about everything.

capricious

likely to change your mind or behavior suddenly, Her ___ moods made it hard to know what to expect.

caustic

sarcastic in a mean or bitter way, She was known for her ___ wit and sharp tongue.

convivial

friendly, lively, and enjoyable, A good host creates a ___ atmosphere at a party.

demonstrative

openly showing your feelings, especially affection, He was very ___, always giving hugs to his friends and family.

despondent

very sad and without hope, After failing the exam, she felt ___ about her future.

diffident

shy and not confident, He was too ___ to ask her out on a date.

discomfited

uncomfortable, embarrassed, or defeated, He was clearly ___ when his secret was revealed to everyone.

disillusionment

disappointment from learning something isn't as good as you thought, Her ___ with politics grew after the scandal.

dispassionate

not influenced by emotion; calm and fair, A good journalist must be ___ when reporting the news.

elated

extremely happy and excited, She was ___ when she found out she got the job.

evoke

to bring a feeling or memory to mind, The song could ___ memories of his childhood.

felicitous

well-chosen or perfectly suited for the occasion, Her ___ remark lightened the tense mood in the room.

forlorn

pitifully sad and lonely, The ___ puppy sat by the door, waiting for its owner to return.

fortitude

courage and strength when facing pain or trouble, She showed great ___ during her long recovery.

furor

a sudden outbreak of public anger or excitement, The controversial decision caused a ___ among the fans.

histrionic

overly dramatic or emotional, He had a ___ reaction to stubbing his toe, crying out as if he were seriously injured.

idyllic

peaceful, beautiful, and perfect, They dreamed of living an ___ life on a farm.

impetuous

acting quickly without thinking, His ___ decision to buy the expensive car led to regret.

irate

extremely angry, The customer was ___ because his order was wrong.

jaded

bored or tired of something after having too much of it, After traveling for a year, he felt ___ and just wanted to go home.

jocular

playful and humorous, His ___ mood made everyone at the meeting laugh.

jovial

cheerful and friendly, Santa Claus is known for his ___ "Ho ho ho!"

maudlin

excessively sentimental and tearful, The sad movie became ___ and felt emotionally manipulative.

melancholy

a feeling of quiet sadness, A deep ___ fell over her on the rainy afternoon.

mercurial

changing moods quickly and unpredictably, You never knew how to approach him because of his ___ temper.

morose

gloomy, sad, and bad-tempered, He was ___ for days after his team lost the championship.

peevish

easily annoyed by unimportant things, The tired toddler was ___ and complained about everything.

penchant

a strong liking for something, She has a ___ for collecting antique teacups.

perfunctory

done quickly and without care, He gave the room a ___ cleaning, barely wiping the dust off.

petulant

childishly sulky or bad-tempered, The ___ actor stormed off the set when he didn't get his way.

profound

very great, intense, or deep, The book had a ___ effect on my thinking.

propensity

a natural tendency to behave in a certain way, He has a ___ for telling jokes at the wrong time.

repugnant

extremely disgusting and offensive, The smell from the garbage was ___.

reticent

not revealing your thoughts or feelings easily; reserved, He was very ___ about his past.

sanguine

optimistic and positive, especially in a bad situation, Despite the setbacks, she remained ___ about the project's success.

solace

comfort in a time of sadness, She found ___ in her friends' support after her loss.

somber

dark, gloomy, and serious, The funeral was a ___ occasion.

temperamental

likely to have sudden and unpredictable changes in mood, The ___ singer refused to perform because the lighting wasn't perfect.

trepidation

a feeling of fear or anxiety about what might happen, I felt a great deal of ___ before my first public speech.

truculent

eager or quick to argue or fight, His ___ attitude gets him into trouble at school.

vicarious

experienced by watching or reading about someone else, He gets a ___ thrill from reading adventure novels.

wrath

extreme anger, In the story, the hero had to face the dragon's ___.

alacrity

cheerful readiness and speed, She accepted the new assignment with ___.

dormant

inactive, as if asleep, The volcano has been ___ for over 200 years.

ebullient

cheerful and full of energy, The ___ fans celebrated their team's victory in the streets.

equanimity

mental calmness, especially in a difficult situation, She handled the emergency with remarkable ___.

hardy

strong enough to survive difficult conditions, Only ___ plants can survive the harsh desert climate.

indolent

lazy; wanting to avoid activity, He spent the ___ Sunday afternoon napping on the couch.

insipid

dull and boring; lacking flavor, The conversation was ___ and I couldn't wait for it to end.

instigate

to cause something to start, often something bad, He was known to ___ arguments between his friends.

invoke

to call on or appeal to (a higher power, a law, etc.), In his speech, he will ___ the memory of the nation's founders.

lackadaisical

lazy and without enthusiasm, His ___ effort was the reason his team lost.

laggard

a person who moves slowly or falls behind, The tour guide had to wait for the ___s at the back of the group.

languid

slow, relaxed, and lacking energy, We spent a ___ afternoon lounging by the pool.