SAT HARD VOCAB

quotidian

of or occurring every day; daily.

credulity

a tendency to be too ready to believe that something is real or true.

impermeable

not allowing fluid to pass through.

obsequious

obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree.

pejorative

expressing contempt or disapproval.

protean

tending or able to change frequently or easily.

fetter

to restrain with chains or shackles, typically around the ankles; to restrict or restrain.

cogent

clear, logical, and convincing.

mollify

to appease the anger or anxiety of (someone).

inveterate

having a particular habit, activity, or interest that is long-established and unlikely to change.

perplex

(of something complicated or unaccountable) to cause (someone) to feel completely baffled.

turpitude

depravity; wickedness.

inexorable

impossible to stop or prevent.

circumlocution

the use of many words where fewer would do, especially in a deliberate attempt to be vague or evasive.

pliable

easily bent; flexible.

surreptitious

kept secret, especially because it would not be approved of.

permeable

allowing liquids or gases to pass through it.

amenity

a desirable or useful feature or facility of a building or place.

taciturn

reserved or uncommunicative in speech; saying little.

espouse

to adopt or support (a cause, belief, or way of life).

pugnacious

eager or quick to argue, quarrel, or fight.

primeval

of or resembling the earliest ages in the history of the world.

acrimony

bitterness or ill feeling.

delineate

to describe or portray (something) precisely.

disheartened

having lost determination or confidence; dispirited.

fortuitous

happening by accident or chance rather than design.

phlegmatic

(of a person) having an unemotional and stolidly calm disposition.

obdurate

stubbornly refusing to change one's opinion or course of action.

quagmire

an awkward, complex, or hazardous situation.

exigent

pressing; demanding.

diatribe

a forceful and bitter verbal attack against someone or something.

laudatory

(of speech or writing) expressing praise and commendation.

legerdemain

skillful use of one's hands when performing conjuring tricks.

deprecate

to express disapproval of.

rebuff

to reject (someone or something) in an abrupt or ungracious manner.

subjugation

the action of bringing someone or something under domination or control.

conformist

a person who conforms to accepted behavior or established practices.

apocryphal

of doubtful authenticity, although widely circulated as being true.

expunge

to erase or remove completely (something unwanted or unpleasant).

predilection

a preference or special liking for something; a bias in favor of something.

distend

to swell or cause to swell by pressure from inside.

dour

relentlessly severe, stern, or gloomy in manner or appearance.

consecrate

to make or declare sacred.

epistolary

relating to or denoting the writing of letters or literary works in the form of letters.

parsimony

extreme unwillingness to spend money or use resources.

invective

insulting, abusive, or highly critical language.

salutation

a gesture or utterance made as a greeting or acknowledgment of another's arrival or departure.

capitulate

to cease to resist an opponent or an unwelcome demand; to surrender.

modulate

to exert a modifying or controlling influence on.

consign

to deliver something to a person's custody, typically in order to be sold.

hedonist

a person who believes that the pursuit of pleasure is the most important aspect of life.

subjugate

to bring under domination or control, especially by conquest.

saccharine

excessively sweet or sentimental.

chastise

to reprimand severely.

florid

having a red or flushed complexion; elaborately or excessively intricate or complicated.

abdicate

to give up a position of power, such as a throne or high office.

enfranchise

to give the right to vote to.

quixotic

exceedingly idealistic; unrealistic and impractical.

efficacious

successful in producing a desired or intended result; effective.

winsome

attractive or appealing in appearance or character.

pertinacious

holding firmly to an opinion or a course of action.

sycophant

a person who acts obsequiously toward someone important in order to gain advantage.

undulate

to move with a smooth wavelike motion.

admonish

to warn or reprimand someone firmly.

pert

(of a girl or young woman) impudent or cheeky.

forestall

to prevent or obstruct (an anticipated event or action) by taking action ahead of time.

intimation

an indication or hint.

temerity

excessive confidence or boldness; audacity.

corroborate

to confirm or give support to (a statement, theory, or finding).

inauspicious

not conducive to success; unpromising.

reclusive

avoiding the company of other people; solitary.

propriety

the state or quality of conforming to conventionally accepted standards of behavior or morals.

adumbrate

to report or represent in outline; to foreshadow vaguely.

congruity

the quality of being in agreement or harmony.

debauch

to destroy or debase the moral purity of; to corrupt.

promulgate

to promote or make widely known (an idea or cause).

imprudent

not showing care for the consequences of an action; rash.

disaffected

dissatisfied with the people in authority and no longer willing to support them.

effulgent

shining brightly; radiant.

vapid

offering nothing that is stimulating or challenging.

ostensible

stated or appearing to be true, but not necessarily so.

timorous

showing or suffering from nervousness, fear, or a lack of confidence.

usurp

to take (a position of power or importance) illegally or by force.

genial

friendly and cheerful.

plenitude

an abundance.

extol

to praise enthusiastically.

abnegation

the act of rejecting or renouncing something; self-denial.

grandiloquence

pompous or extravagant in language, style, or manner, especially in a way that is intended to impress.

exhort

to strongly encourage or urge (someone) to do something.

diffident

modest or shy because of a lack of self-confidence.

irrevocable

not able to be changed, reversed, or recovered; final.

deferential

showing deference; respectful.

confound

to cause surprise or confusion in someone, especially by acting against their expectations.

guile

sly or cunning intelligence.

reciprocate

to respond to (a gesture or action) by making a corresponding one.

debunk

to expose the falseness or hollowness of (a myth, idea, or belief).

refract

(of water, air, or glass) to make (a ray of light) change direction when it enters at an angle.

irreverence

a lack of respect for people or things that are generally taken seriously.

panacea

a solution or remedy for all difficulties or diseases.

vestige

a trace of something that is disappearing or no longer exists.