Hard DSAT Vocab

abject

of the most contemptible kind

aberration

a state or condition markedly different from the norm

abjure

formally reject or disavow a formerly held belief, usually under pressure

abnegation

the denial and rejection of a doctrine or belief

abrogate

revoke formally

abscond

run away; usually includes taking something or somebody along

abstruse

difficult to penetrate; incomprehensible to one of ordinary understanding or knowledge

accede

yield to another's wish or opinion

accost

speak to someone

accretion

an increase by natural growth or addition

acumen

shrewdness shown by keen insight

adamant

impervious to pleas, persuasion, requests, reason

admonish

take to task

adumbrate

describe roughly or briefly or give the main points or summary of

adverse

in an opposing direction

advocate

a person who pleads for a cause or propounds an idea

affluent

having an abundant supply of money or possessions of value

aggrandize

add details to

alacrity

liveliness and eagerness

alias

a name that has been assumed temporarily

ambivalent

uncertain or unable to decide about what course to follow

amenable

disposed or willing to comply

amorphous

having no definite form or distinct shape

anachronistic

chronologically misplaced

anathema

a formal ecclesiastical curse accompanied by excommunication

annex

attach to

antediluvian

of or relating to the period before the biblical flood

antiseptic

thoroughly clean and free of or destructive to disease-causing organisms

apathetic

showing little or no emotion or animation

antithesis

exact opposite

apocryphal

being of questionable authenticity

approbation

official approval

arbitrary

based on or subject to individual discretion or preference or sometimes impulse or caprice

arboreal

resembling a tree in form and branching structure

arcane

requiring secret or mysterious knowledge

archetypal

representing or constituting an original type after which other similar things are patterned

arrogate

seize and take control without authority and possibly with force; take as one's right or possession

ascetic

someone who practices self denial as a spiritual discipline

aspersion

a disparaging remark

assiduous

marked by care and persistent effort

atrophy

a decrease in size of an organ caused by disease or disuse

bane

something causing misery or death

bashful

self-consciously timid

beguile

influence by slyness

bereft

sorrowful through loss or deprivation

blandishment

flattery intended to persuade

bilk

cheat somebody out of what is due, especially money

bombastic

ostentatiously lofty in style

cajole

influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering

callous

having calluses; having skin made tough and thick through wear

calumny

a false accusation of an offense or a malicious misrepresentation of someone's words or actions

camaraderie

the quality of affording easy familiarity and sociability

candor

the quality of being honest and straightforward in attitude and speech

capitulate

surrender under agreed conditions

carouse

engage in boisterous, drunken merrymaking

carp

any of various freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae

caucus

meet to select a candidate or promote a policy

cavort

play boisterously

circumlocution

an indirect way of expressing something

circumscribe

to draw a geometric figure around another figure so that the two are in contact but do not intersect

circumvent

surround so as to force to give up

clamor

utter or proclaim insistently and noisily

cleave

separate or cut with a tool, such as a sharp instrument

cobbler

a person who makes or repairs shoes

cogent

powerfully persuasive

cognizant

(sometimes followed by `of') having or showing knowledge or understanding or realization or perception

commensurate

corresponding in size or degree or extent

complement

something added to complete or embellish or make perfect

compunction

a feeling of deep regret (usually for some misdeed)

concomitant

following or accompanying as a consequence

conduit

a passage (a pipe or tunnel) through which water or electric wires can pass

conflagration

a very intense and uncontrolled fire

congruity

the quality of agreeing; being suitable and appropriate

connive

form intrigues (for) in an underhand manner

consign

give over to another for care or safekeeping

constituent

an artifact that is one of the individual parts of which a composite entity is made up; especially a part that can be separated from or attached to a system

construe

make sense of; assign a meaning to

contusion

an injury that doesn't break the skin but results in some discoloration

contrite

feeling or expressing pain or sorrow for sins or offenses

contentious

inclined or showing an inclination to dispute or disagree, even to engage in law suits

contravene

go against, as of rules and laws

convivial

occupied with or fond of the pleasures of good company

corpulence

the property of excessive fatness

covet

wish, long, or crave for (something, especially the property of another person)

cupidity

extreme greed for material wealth

dearth

an insufficient quantity or number

debacle

a sudden and violent collapse

debauch

a wild gathering involving excessive drinking and promiscuity

debunk

expose while ridiculing; especially of pretentious or false claims and ideas

defunct

no longer in force or use; inactive

demagogue

a political leader who seeks support by appealing to popular passions and prejudices

denigrate

charge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good name and reputation of someone

derivative

a compound obtained from, or regarded as derived from, another compound

despot

a cruel and oppressive dictator

diaphanous

so thin as to transmit light

didactic

instructive (especially excessively)

dirge

a song or hymn of mourning composed or performed as a memorial to a dead person

disaffected

discontented as toward authority

discomfit

cause to lose one's composure

disparate

fundamentally different or distinct in quality or kind