SAT Vocab Words #401-500

condescend

(v.) to lower oneself to a less formal or less dignified level

enigma

(n.) something puzzling, ambiguous, mysterious, or inexplicable; a perplexing puzzle

plight

(n.) sad situation

impasse

(n.) a dead-end

ostensible

(adj.) outwardly appearing as such

sluggish

(adj.) lazy; lacking energy

bland

(adj.) having a moderate, undisturbed quality

hovel

(n.) a small, miserable dwelling

compel

(v.) to cause to occur by pressure; to force

artisan

(n.) a worker trained or skilled in some manual trade

impeccable

(adj.) flawless

surmount

(v.) to overcome (ex: an obstacle); to climb to the top of

pastoral

(adj.) relating to country life, especially of shepherds; rustic

superfluous

(adj.) unnecessary; extra

avert

(v.) to turn away

mandate

(n.) a command; an order

proscribe

(v.) to prohibit or forbid; to denounce

consanguinity

(n.) blood relationship

prone

(adj.) tending or likely to do something; lying face down

credible

(adj.) capable of being believed

complicity

(n.) involvement as an accomplice in a crime or wrongful act

kudos

(n.) glory; fame

fruitless

(adj.) without results; unprofitable

paucity

(n.) smallness of number; scarcity

sycophant

(n.) one who seeks favor by flattering people of wealth or influence

tractable

(adj.) easily managed or controlled

holistic

(adj.) dealing with something as a whole rather than by its individual parts

verdant

(adj.) green

promulgate

(v.) to make known by official announcement

skeptical

(adj.) tending to question or doubt

forte

(n.) something at which a person excels

harbinger

(n.) someone or something that indicates what is to come

annul

(v.) to make void or invalid

adversity

(n.) misfortune; trouble

castigate

(v.) to criticize severely, especially in public

oratory

(n.) public speaking, especially marked by pompous rhetoric

conduit

(n.) a channel for conducting fluids; a mean by which something is transmitted

bolster

(v.) to support or strengthen

wont

(adj.) accustomed

recur

(v.) to repeat; to occur again

brook

(v.) to tolerate

consecrate

(v.) to make or set apart as sacred

espouse

(v.) to give loyalty or support to; to adopt

dispose

(v.) to give a tendency or inclination to

modicum

(n.) a small quantity

composed

(adj.) calm and self-possessed

edifice

(n.) a building; architectural monument

reserved

(adj.) self-restrained and withdrawn in speech and manner

translucent

(adj.) letting light through, but no visual details

endeavor

(n.) a serious attempt or effort

glib

(adj.) easy and fluent in conversation or writing, often suggesting insincerity or deceitfulness

subtle

(adj.) not immediately obvious; hard to understand

scurry

(v.) to move with light running steps

rabble

(n.) a noisy crowd; the lowest, coarsest class of people

tenuous

(adj.) weak; thin

glutton

(n.) one who eats too much

frenetic

(adj.) wildly excited or active

forthright

(adj.) direct and without evasion; honest

nominal

(adj.) appearing in name only; negligible or of low amount

savant

(n.) a well-educated person; a scholar

coerce

(v,) to force by threat or intimidation

prescient

(adj.) knowing things before they occur

concise

(adj.) brief and to the point

opaque

(adj.) not letting in light; unintelligible

excise

(v.) to remove by or as if by cutting

dossier

(n.) group of documents

culminate

(v.) to reach the highest point

allot

(v.) to distribute; to assign as a portion

conundrum

(n.) a riddle or puzzle, especially one without a solution

bevy

(n.) a group, especially of birds

frowzy

(adj.) having an uncared-for appearance

diminution

(n.) a decrease or diminishing

aplomb

(n.) self-assurance; self-confidence; poise

cower

(v.) to draw back out of fear

affable

(adj.) friendly; easy to talk to

foliage

(n.) leaves

prerogative

(n.) an exclusive right or privilege, especially one that is the result of heredity or official position

capricious

(adj.) erratic; tending to change abruptly

unilateral

(adj.) one-sided; unequal

crux

(n.) an essential or pivotal point; a perplexing difficulty

manuscript

(n.) a book or other document written by hand; an author's original copy of a document submitted for publication

segue

(n.) an easy, effective, or uninterrupted transition

supple

(adj.) easy to bend

civil

(adj.) observing accepted social customs; not rude

callous

(adj.) lacking pity or mercy; unfeeling

procure

(v.) to obtain or acquire

apprise

(v.) to inform or notify

niche

(n.) a place or situation suited for a person or thing; a recess in a wall

creed

(n.) a system of beliefs, principles, or opinions

discord

(n.) conflict or disagreement

parameter

(n.) one of a set or measurable factors that determine a system's behavior and are varied in an experiment

denomination

(n.) the name for a special class of persons, such as a religious group

obviate

(v.) to stop from occurring; to prevent or make unnecessary

aggravate

(v.) to worsen

replete

(adj.) well-filled; abundantly supplied

forbidding

(adj.) disagreeable; menacing

improvise

(v.) to do without preparation

proceeds

(n.) money derived from some activity; price or profit

hyperbole

(n.) exaggeration

relentless

(adj.) harsh; pitiless; persistent