SAT-Greatest Hits

SAT vocab.

adhere

to believe in and follow the practices of.

EX - it can be difficult to adhere to a workout regimen without coaching and discipline.

advocate

to publicly recommend or support

allude

to suggest or call attention to indirectly; to hint at

ambivalence

the state of having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone.

She struggled with ambivalence regarding the group project. Loved working with friends but felt like the work was unfair.

analogous

comparable in certain respects, typically in a way which makes clearer the nature of the things compared.

anecdote

a short amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person

apprehensive

anxious or fearful that something bad or unpleasant will happen.

Lauren was apprehensive about her upcoming violin recital.

arbitrary

based on random choice or personal whim, rather than any reason or system.

Town’s enforcement of parking rules felt arbitrary.

assert

to state a facto or belief confidently and forcefully

bias

prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually in a way considered to be unfair.

brevity

concise and exact use of words in writing or speech

Sabrina’s notes were known for their brevity. Concepts summed up into small series of words.

buttress

to increase the strength of or justification for; to reinforce.

The commissioner has promised to train 30 new recruits by the end of the year in order to buttress the police force as the city’s borders expand.

concede

to admit that something is true or valid after first denying or resisting it

consensus

a general agreement

corroborate

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

decisive

settling an issue producing a definite result

deference

humble submission and respect

degrade

to treat or regard (someone) with contempt or disrespect

denounce

to publicly declare to be wrong or evil

dispute

a disagreement, argument, or debate

divergent

tending to be different or develop in different directions

dormant

having normal physical functions suspended or slowed down for a period of time; in or as if in a deep sleep

eloquent

fluent or persuasive in speaking or writing

evoke

to bring or recall to the conscious mind

exert

to make a physical or mental effort

explicit

stated clearly and in detail, leaving no room for confusion or doubt

imminent

about to happen

impede

to delay or prevent (someone or something) by obstructing; to hinder.

implicit

implied but not plainly expressed

impose

to take advantage of someone bu demanding attention or commitment

indifference

lack of interest, concern or sympathy

inevitable

certain to happen; unavoidable

invoke

to cite or appeal to (someone or something) as an authority for an action or in support of an argument

ironic

happening in the opposite way from what is expected and typically causing amusement because of this.

novel

new or unusual in an interesting way

obscure

not discovered or known about; uncertain

obsolete

no longer produced or used; out of date

oppressive

unjustly inflicting hardship and constraint heavily on the minds of spirits

pervasive

spreading widely throughout an area or a group of people especially in an unpleasant way

prevalence

the fact or condition of being prevalent; commonness

prominent

important; famous

provoke

to stimulate or give rise to a reaction or emotion typically a strong or unwelcome one in someone

reciprocate

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

reconcile

to restore friendly relations

trite

cliche

refute

to prove to be wrong or false; disprove (statement or theory)

renounce

to formally declare one’s abandonment of (a claim. right or possession)

repression

the restraint prevention, or inhibition of a feeling, quality, etc.

retain

to continue to have (something); keep possession of

skeptical

not easily convinced; having doubts or reservations

speculate

to form a theory or conjecture about a subject without firm evidence

substantiate

to provide evidence to support or prove the truth of

subtle

so delicate or precise as to be difficult to analyze or describe

supplement

something that completes or enhances something else when added to it

tenuous

very weak or slight

undermine

to lessen the effectiveness, power, or ability of

underscore

to emphasize or draw attention to

unobtrusive

not conspicuous or attracting attention

validate

to check or prove the validity or accuracy of something

verisimilitude

the appearance of being true or real

viable

capable of working successfully; feasible