Pre-AP English 1 PSAT Vocabulary List

charisma

a magical-seeming ability to attract followers or inspire loyalty

dichotomy

division into two usually contradictory parts or opinions

forsake

to abandon; to renounce; to relinquish

garish

too bright or gaudy; showy

melancholy

sadness or depression of the spirits; gloom

neophyte

a recent convert to a belief; a beginner or a novice

perennial

continual; happening again and again or year after year

requisite

required; necessary

spawn

to bring forth; to produce a large number

tranquil

free from disturbance or agitation

benign

kind; beneficial; doing little or no harm

compelling

forceful; causing to yield

desultory

moving or jumping from one thing to another; disconnected

endemic

native; restricted to a particular region or era; indigenous

incisive

cutting right to the heart of the matter

largess

generous giving of gifts (or the gifts themselves); generosity; philanthropy

mortify

to humiliate

plebian

common; vulgar; low class; bourgeois

reprove

to rebuke severely or formally

unmitigated

not lessened or eased

condescend

to descend voluntarily to the level of the person that one is dealing with

detractor

one who takes or draws away; one who belittles another

expunge

to erase or remove completely

haughty

showing great pride in oneself and disdain for others

infallible

incapable of error; dependable

ominous

serving as an omen; threatening; sinister

predilection

partiality or preference

reprimand

to rebuke severely or formally

succinct

clearly and briefly stated; terse

venerable

worthy of respect or reverence by reason of age and dignity, character, position, etc

callow

immature; inexperienced

duress

imprisonment; the use of force or threats

eccentric

not conventional; a little kooky; irregular

furor

fury; rage; frenzy

iniquity

lack of righteousness or justice; wickedness

mundane

ordinary; pretty boring; not heavenly and eternal

rancor

bitter, long-lasting ill will or resentment

sequester

to set or keep apart

torpor

sluggishness; inactivity; apathy

viscous

having a sticky fluid consistency

collusion

conspiracy; secret cooperation

dispensation

distribution; release from obligation

enfranchise

to grant the privileges of citizenship, especially the right to vote

formidable

causing fear or dread

imprudent

without thought of the consequences; lacking in judgment or caution; rash

machination

scheming activity for an evil purpose

neologism

a new word or phrase; a new usage of a word

perpetrate

to perform something evil or offensive

reclusive

hermitlike; withdrawn from society

uncouth

awkward; clumsy; uncultured

caustic

cutting or sarcastic in utterance; biting

destitute

extremely poor; utterly lacking

exasperate

to annoy thoroughly; to make very angry; to try the patience of

frenetic

frantic; frenzied

paltry

insignificant; worthless

proselytize

to convert (someone) from one religion or doctrine to another; to recruit converts to a religion or doctrine

reticent

quiet; restrained; reluctant to speak, especially about oneself

sojourn

to live somewhere temporarily, as on a visit

stoic

indifferent (at least outwardly) to pleasure or pain, to joy or grief, to fortune or misfortune

vestige

a remaining bit of something; a last trace

contingent

dependent; possible

defame

to libel or slander; to ruin the good name of

esoteric

Intended for or understood by only a particular group

foment

to stir up; to instigate

ingenuous

frank; open; candid; simple

malleable

easy to shape or bend

obsequious

full of or exhibiting servile compliance; fawning

primeval

of the earliest times or ages

soporific

sleep inducing; extremely boring; very sleepy

vernacular

everyday speech; slang; idiom

confluence

A flowing together, especially of rivers; the place where they begin to flow together

dictum

a formal statement of fact, opinion or principle, or of one's will or judgment

expound

to state in detail, point by point

humility

the state or quality of being humble; the absence of pride or self-assertion

innate

existing naturally, rather than acquired

maxim

a fundamental principle; an old saying

patrician

a person of noble birth; an aristocrat

recrimination

a bitter counteraccusation, or the act of making a bitter counteraccusation

sagacity

the quality of being discerning, sound in judgment, and farsighted; wisdom

staccato

made up of abrupt, distinct elements or sounds

consternation

a state of paralyzing dismay

doctrinaire

inflexibly committed to a doctrine or theory without regard to its practicality; dogmatic

founder

to fail; to collapse; to sink

inept

clumsy; incompetent; gauche

morose

gloomy; sullen

pedestrian

Unimaginative; banal

replete

completely filled; abounding

squalor

filth; wretched, degraded, or repulsive living conditions

unwitting

unintentional; ignorant; not aware

vicarious

felt or undergone as if one were taking part in the experience or feelings of another

cajole

to persuade someone to do something he or she doesn't want to do

demagogue

a leader of the people, but more a rabble rouser

encroach

to make gradual or stealthy inroads into; to trespass

idyllic

charming in a rustic way; naturally peaceful

laud

to praise; to applaud; to extol; to celebrate

peruse

to read carefully

ramification

a consequence; a branching out

static

stationary; not changing or moving

terse

using no unnecessary words; succinct

ubiquitous

being or seeming to be everywhere at the same time; omnipresent