1000 SAT WORDS

Abase

• Very simple meaning: to humiliate someone; make someone feel lower or less important

• Easy association: Imagine your boss embarrassing you in front of all your coworkers over a small mistake.

• Example: “He tried to _ his opponent by insulting him in public.”

• Think: word = humiliate / put someone down

Abate

• Very simple meaning: to become less or weaker

• Easy association: You are waiting for heavy rain to become lighter before riding home.

• Example: “The rain finally _ after an hour.”

• Think: word = become less / become weaker

Abdicate

• Very simple meaning: to give up an important position or responsibility

• Easy association: Imagine a king saying, “I don't want to be king anymore,” and giving the throne to someone else.

• Example: “The king decided to _ the throne.”

Abduct

• Very simple meaning: to kidnap; take someone by force

• Easy association: Think of a crime movie where criminals force someone into a van and take him away.

• Example: “The criminals planned to abduct the businessman.”

• Think: word = kidnap

Aberration

• Very simple meaning: something unusual that is different from what normally happens

• Easy association: You usually score around 70 on quizzes, then suddenly get 100 without studying much. That one result is very unusual for you.

• Example: “His poor performance was an _ because he normally plays very well.”

• Think: word = unusual exception

Abet

• Very simple meaning: to help or encourage someone, usually in doing something wrong

• Easy association: Your friend steals something while you watch the door and warn him if someone is coming.

• Example: “He was accused of _ting the thief.”

• Think: word = help someone do something wrong

Abhor

• Very simple meaning: to hate something very strongly

• Easy association: Think of a food, habit, or behavior you absolutely cannot stand.

• Example: “He _ people who bully others.”

• Think: word = strongly hate

Abide

• Meaning 1 

• Very simple meaning: to accept or put up with something

• Easy association: Your workplace has a rule you don't like, but you still follow it because it's required.

• Example: “He agreed to _ by the company's decision.”

• Think: word = accept / follow / put up with

• Meaning 2

• Very simple meaning: to remain; continue to exist

• Easy association: Even after many years, an old family tradition is still practiced.

• Example: “Some traditions _ for generations.”

• Think: word = remain / continue

Abject

• Very simple meaning: extremely bad, miserable, or pitiful

• Easy association: Imagine losing your wallet, getting soaked by rain, missing your ride home, and then your phone dies.

• Example: “The family lived in _ poverty.”

• Think: word = extremely miserable / pitiful

Abjure

• Very simple meaning: to formally reject or give something up

• Easy association: Someone realizes gambling is ruining his finances and publicly promises never to gamble again.

• Example: “He _ his former beliefs.”

• Think: word = reject / give up completely

Abnegation

• Very simple meaning: giving up comfort or things you want

• Easy association: You have money for a new phone, but you choose not to buy it because your family needs the money more.

• Example: “His life of _ involved giving up many personal comforts.”

• Think: word = giving up personal comfort

Abort

• Very simple meaning: to stop something before it is finished

• Easy association: You and your friends plan a beach trip, but a typhoon comes, so you cancel the trip before leaving.

• Example: “They had to _ the mission because of bad weather.”

• Think: word = stop before finishing

Abridge

• Meaning 1 — verb 

• Very simple meaning: to shorten something

• Easy association: You have a 20-page report but need to reduce it to 10 pages while keeping the important information.

• Example: “The editor _ the long novel.”

• Think: word = shorten

• Meaning 2 — adjective 

• Very simple meaning: shortened

• Easy association: Instead of reading the full 500-page book, you buy a shorter version containing the important parts.

• Example: “He read the _ version of the book.”

• Think: word = shortened version

Abrogate

• Very simple meaning: to officially cancel or end a rule, law, or agreement

• Easy association: Imagine the government officially removing an old law that is no longer useful.

• Example: “The government voted to _ the old law.”

• Think: word = officially cancel

Abscond

• Very simple meaning: to secretly run away and hide

• Easy association: Someone owes a lot of money, suddenly leaves town, changes his number, and nobody knows where he went.

• Example: “The suspect _ before the police arrived.”

• Think: word = secretly run away

Absolution

• Very simple meaning: freedom from blame or guilt

• Easy association: Everyone thinks you broke something, but CCTV proves another person did it, so you are completely cleared.

• Example: “The new evidence gave him _ from blame.”

• Think: word = cleared of blame / guilt

Abstain

• Very simple meaning: to choose not to do something

• Easy association: Your friends are drinking, but you decide not to drink because you have to drive home.

• Example: “He decided to _ from alcohol.”

• Think: word = choose not to do

Abstruse

• Very simple meaning: very difficult to understand

• Easy association: Imagine opening an advanced physics book and understanding almost nothing on the first page.

• Example: “The professor's explanation was too _ for beginners.”

• Think: word = very hard to understand

Accede

• Very simple meaning: to agree to a request

• Easy association: You ask your parents if you can borrow the car, expecting them to say no, but they surprisingly agree.

• Example: “The manager _ to the workers' request.”

• Think: word = agree to a request

Accentuate

• Very simple meaning: to emphasize or make something more noticeable

• Easy association: Wearing a fitted shirt makes your shoulders look more noticeable after you've been working out.

• Example: “The lighting _ the details of the room.”

• Think: word = emphasize / make noticeable

Accessible

• Very simple meaning: easy to reach, get, use, or understand

• Easy association: A mall beside a major road is easy to reach by jeepney, bus, or car.

• Example: “The information is easily _ online.”

• Think: word = easy to reach / get

Acclaim

• Very simple meaning: strong public praise

• Easy association: A Filipino athlete wins internationally and receives praise from thousands of people online.

• Example: “The movie received widespread _.”

• Think: word = strong public praise

Accolade

• Very simple meaning: praise, honor, or an award for an achievement

• Easy association: You become employee of the month and receive a certificate because of your good performance.

• Example: “The athlete received several _ after winning the championship.”

• Think: word = honor / award / special praise

Accommodating

• Very simple meaning: helpful and willing to adjust for other people

• Easy association: Your friend wants to meet at 6 PM, but you finish work at 7 PM, so he agrees to move the meeting to 8 PM for you.

• Example: “The staff were very _ to our requests.”

• Think: word = helpful / willing to adjust

Accord

• Very simple meaning: an agreement

• Easy association: Two groups have been arguing, but after talking, they finally agree on a solution that both sides accept.

• Example: “The two sides finally reached an _.”

• Think: word = agreement