SAT Vocabularies p.36-49單詞卡 | Quizlet

nocturnal

(adj.) relating to or occurring during the night

(Jackie was a ___ person; she would study until dawn and sleep until the evening.)

nomadic

(adj.) wandering from place to place

(In the first six months after college, Jose led a ___ life, living in New York, California, and Idaho.)

nocturnal

(adj.) relating to or occurring during the night

(Jackie was a ___ person; she would study until dawn and sleep until the evening.)

nomadic

(adj.) wandering from place to place

(In the first six months after college, Jose led a ___ life, living in New York, California, and Idaho.)

nonchalant

(adj.) having a lack of concern, indifference

(Although deep down she was very angry, Marsha acted in a ___ manner when she found out that her best friend had used her clothing without asking.)

nondescript

(adj.) lacking a distinctive character

(I was surprised when I saw the movie star in person because she looked ___.)

notorious

(adj.) widely and unfavorably known

(Jacob was ___ for always arriving late at parties.)

novice

(n.) a beginner, someone without training or experience

(Because we were all ___s at yoga, our instructor decided to begin with the basics.)

nuance

(n.) a slight variation in meaning, tone, expression

(The ___s of the poem were not obvious to the casual reader, but the professor was able to point them out.)

nurture

(v.) to assist the development of

(Although Serena had never watered the plant, which was about to die, Javier was able to ___ it back to life.)

obfuscate

(v.) to render incomprehensible

(The detective did want to answer the newspaperman's questions, so he ___ed the truth.)

oblique

(adj.) diverging from a straight line or course, not straightforward

(Martin's ___ language confused those who listened to him.)

oblivious

(adj.) lacking consciousness or awareness of something

(___ to the burning smell emanating from the kitchen, my father did not notice that the rolls in the oven were burned until much too late.)

obscure

(adj.) unclear, partially hidden

(Because he was standing in the shadows, his features were ___.)

obsolete

(adj.) no longer used, out of date

(With the inventions of tape decks and CDs, which both have better sound and are easier to use, eight-track players are now entirely ___.)

obtuse

(adj.) lacking quickness of sensibility or intellect

(Political opponents warned that the prime minister's ___ approach to foreign policy would embroil the nation in mindless war.)

odious

(adj.) instilling hatred or intense displeasure

(Mark was assigned the ___ task of cleaning the cat's litter box.)

ominous

(adj.) foreboding or foreshadowing evil

(The fortuneteller's ___ words flashed through my mind as the hooded figure approached me in the alley.)

onerous

(adj.) burdensome

(My parents lamented that the pleasures of living in a beautiful country estate no longer outweighed the ___ mortgage payments.)

opulent

(adj.) characterized by rich abundance verging on ostentation

(The ___ furnishings of the dictator's private compound contrasted harshly with the meager accommodations of her subjects.)

ornate

(adj.) highly elaborate, excessively decorated

(The ___ styling of the new model of luxury car could not compensate for the poor quality of its motor.)

orthodox

(adj.) conventional, conforming to established protocol

(The company's profits dwindled because the management pursued ___ business policies that were incompatible with new industrial trends.)

oscillate

(v.) to sway from one side to the other

(My uncle ___ed between buying a station wagon to transport his family and buying a sports car to satisfy his boyhood fantasies.)

ostensible

(adj.) appearing as such, seemingly

(Jack's ___ reason for driving was that airfare was too expensive, but in reality, he was afraid of flying.)

ostentatious

(adj.) excessively showy, glitzy

(On the palace tour, the guide focused on the ___ decorations and spoke little of the royal family's history.)

ostracism

(n.) exclusion from a group

(Beth risked ___ if her roommates discovered her flatulence.)

palatable

(adj.) agreeable to the taste or sensibilities

(Despite the unpleasant smell, the exotic cheese was quite ___.)

paradigm

(n.) an example that is a perfect pattern or model

(Because the new SUV was so popular, it became the ___ upon which all others were modeled.)

paradox

(n.) an apparently contradictory statement that is perhaps true

(The diplomat refused to acknowledge the ___ that negotiating a peace treaty would demand more resources than waging war.)

paragon

(n.) a model of excellence or perfection

(The mythical Helen of Troy was considered a ___ of female beauty.)

paramount

(adj.) greatest in importance, rank, character

(It was ___ that the bomb squad disconnect the blue wire before removing the fuse.)

pariah

(n.) an outcast

(Following the discovery of his plagiarism, Professor Hurley was made a ___ in all academic circles.)

parody

(n.) a satirical imitation

(A hush fell over the classroom when the teacher returned to find Deborah acting out a ___ of his teaching style.)

patent

(adj.) readily seen or understood, clear

(The reason for Jim's abdominal pain was made ___ after the doctor performed a sonogram.)

pathology

(n.) a deviation from the normal

(Dr. Hastings had difficulty identifying the precise nature of Brian's ___.)

pejorative

(adj.) derogatory, uncomplimentary

(The evening's headline news covered an international scandal caused by a ___ statement the famous senator had made in reference to a foreign leader.)

penchant

(n.) a tendency, partiality, preference

(Jill's dinner parties quickly became monotonous on account of her ___ for Mexican dishes.)

permeate

(v.) to spread throughout, saturate

(Mrs. Huxtable was annoyed that the wet dog's odor had ___ed the furniture's upholstery.)

pernicious

(adj.) extremely destructive or harmful

(The new government feared that the Communist sympathizers would have a ___ influence on the nation's stability.)

perplex

(v.) to confuse

(Brad was ___ed by his girlfriend's suddenly distant manner.)

pervasive

(adj.) having the tendency to spread throughout

(Stepping off the plane in Havana, I recognized the ___ odor of sugar cane fields on fire.)

petulance

(n.) rudeness, irritability

(The Nanny resigned after she could no longer tolerate the child's ___.)

philanthropic

(adj.) charitable, giving

(Many people felt that the billionaire's decision to donate her fortune to house the homeless was the ultimate ___ act.)

pinnacle

(n.) the highest point

(Book reviewers declared that the author's new novel was extraordinary and probably the ___ of Western literature.)

placate

(v.) to ease the anger of, soothe

(The man purchased a lollipop to ___ his irritable son.)

placid

(adj.) calm, peaceful

(The ___ lake surface was as smooth as glass.)

platitude

(n.) an uninspired remark, cliché

(After reading over her paper, Helene concluded that what she thought were profound insights were actually just ___s.)

plausible

(adj.) believable, reasonable

(He studied all the data and then came up with a ___ theory that took all factors into account.)

plethora

(n.) an abundance, excess

(The wedding banquet included a ___ of oysters piled almost three feet high.)

pliable

(adj.) flexible

(Aircraft wings are designed to be somewhat ___ so they do not break in heavy turbulence.)

poignant

(adj.) deeply affecting, moving

(My teacher actually cried after reading to us the ___ final chapter of the novel.)

polemic

(n.) an aggressive argument against a specific opinion

(My brother launched into a ___ against my arguments that capitalism was an unjust economic system.)

pragmatic

(adj.) practical

(The politician argued that while increased security measures might not fit with the lofty ideals of the nation, they were a ___ necessity to ensure everyone's safety.)

precipice

(n.) the face of a cliff, a steep or overhanging place

(The mountain climber hung from a ___ before finding a handhold and pulling himself up.)

preclude

(v.) to prevent

(My grandfather's large and vicious guard dog ___ed anyone from entering the yard.)

precocious

(adj.) advanced, developing ahead of time

(Derek was so academically ___ that by the time he was 10 years old, he was already in the ninth grade.)

prescient

(adj.) to have foreknowledge of events

(Questioning the fortune cookie's prediction, Ray went in search of the old hermit who was rumored to be ___.)

prescribe

(v.) to lay down a rule

(The duke ___ed that from this point further all of the peasants living on his lands would have to pay higher taxes.)

presumptuous

(adj.) disrespectfully bold

(The princess grew angry after the ___ noble tried to kiss her, even though he was far below her in social status.)

pretense

(n.)an appearance or action intended to deceive

(Though he actually wanted to use his parents' car to go on a date, Nick borrowed his parents' car under the ___ of attending a group study session.)

proclivity

(n.) a strong inclination toward something

(In a sick twist of fate, Harold's childhood ___ for torturing small animals grew into a desire to become a surgeon.)

procure

(v.) to obtain, acquire

(The FBI was unable to ___ sufficient evidence to charge the gangster with racketeering.)

profane

(adj.) lewd, indecent

(Jacob's ___ act of dumping frogs in the holy water in the chapel at his boarding school resulted in his dismissal.)

promulgate

(v.) to proclaim, make known

(The film professor ___ed that both in terms of sex appeal and political intrigue, Sean Connery's James Bond was superior to Roger Moore's.)

propagate

(v.) to multiply, spread out

(Rumors of Paul McCartney's demise ___ed like wildfire throughout the world.)

propensity

(n.) an inclination, preference

(Dermit has a ___ for dangerous activities such as bungee jumping.)

prowess

(n.) extraordinary ability

(The musician had never taken a guitar lesson in his life, making his ___ with the instrument even more incredible.)

prudence

(n.) cautious, circumspect

(After losing a fortune in a stock market crash, my father vowed to practice greater ___ in future investments.)

pungent

(adj.) having a pointed, sharp quality—often used to describe smells

(The ___ odor in the classroom made Joseph lose his concentration during the test.)

punitive

(adj.) involving punishment

(If caught smoking in the boys' room, the ___ result is immediate expulsion from school.)

putrid

(adj.) rotten, foul

(Those rotten eggs smell ___.)

quaint

(adj.) charmingly old-fashioned

(Hilda was delighted by the ___ bonnets she saw in Amish country.)

quandary

(n.) a perplexed, unresolvable state

(Carlos found himself in a ___: should he choose mint chocolate chip or cookie dough?)

quell

(v.) to control or diffuse a potentially explosive situation

(The skilled leader deftly ___ed the rebellion.)

quixotic

(adj.) idealistic, impractical

(Edward entertained a ___ desire to fall in love at first sight in a laundromat.)

rail

(v.) to scold, protest

(The professor ___ed against the injustice of the college's tenure policy.)

rancid

(adj.) having a terrible taste or smell

(Rob was double-dog-dared to eat the ___ egg salad sandwich.)

rapport

(n.) mutual understanding and harmony

(When Margaret met her paramour, they felt an instant ___.)

rash

(adj.) hasty, incautious

(It's best to think things over calmly and thoroughly, rather than make ___ decisions.)

raucous

(adj.) loud, boisterous

(Sarah's neighbors called the cops when her house party got too ___.)

raze

(v.) to demolish, level

(The old tenement house was ___ed to make room for the large chain store.)

rebuke

(v.) to scold, criticize

(When the cops showed up at Sarah's party, they ___ed her for disturbing the peace.)

recapitulate

(v.) to sum up, repeat

(Before the final exam, the teacher ___ed the semester's material.)

reciprocate

(v.) to give in return

(When Steve gave Samantha a sweater for Christmas, she ___ed by giving him a kiss.)

reclusive

(adj.) solitary, shunning society

(___ authors such as J.D. Salinger do not relish media attention and sometimes even enjoy holing up in remote cabins in the woods.)

reconcile

1. (v.) to return to harmony

(The feuding neighbors finally ___ when one brought the other a delicious tuna noodle casserole.)

2. (v.) to make consistent with existing ideas

(Alou had to ___ his skepticism about the existence of aliens with the fact that he was looking at a flying saucer.)

refurbish

(v.) to restore, clean up

(The dingy old chair, after being ___ed, commanded the handsome price of $200.)

refute

(v.) to prove wrong

(Maria ___ed the president's argument as she yelled and gesticulated at the TV.)

regurgitate

1. (v.) to vomit

(Feeling sick, Chuck ___ed his dinner.)

2. (v.) to throw back exactly

(Margaret rushed through the test, ___ing all of the facts she'd memorized an hour earlier.)

relegate

1. (v.) to assign to the proper place

(At the astrology conference, Simon was ___ed to the Scorpio room.)

2. (v.) to assign to an inferior place

(After spilling a drink on a customer's shirt, the waiter found himself ___ed to the least lucrative shift.)

relish

(v.) to enjoy

(Pete always ___ed his bedtime snack.)

remedial

(adj.) intended to repair gaps in students' basic knowledge

(After his teacher discovered he couldn't read, Alex was forced to enroll in ___ English.)

remiss

(adj.) negligent, failing to take care

(The burglar gained entrance because the security guard, ___ in his duties, forgot to lock the door.)

renovate

1. (v.) restore, return to original state

(The ___ed antique candelabra looked as good as new.)

2. (v.) to enlarge and make prettier, especially a house

(After getting ___ed, the house was twice as big and much more attractive.)

renown

(n.) honor, acclaim

(The young writer earned international ___ by winning the Pulitzer Prize.)

repentant

(adj.) penitent, sorry

(The ___ Dennis apologized profusely for breaking his mother's vase.)

replete

(adj.) full, abundant

(The unedited version was ___ with naughty words.)

reprehensible

(adj.) deserving rebuke

(Jean's cruel and ___ attempt to dump her boyfriend on his birthday led to tears and recriminations.)

reprieve

(n.) a temporary delay of punishment

(Because the governor woke up in a particularly good mood, he granted hundreds of ___s to prisoners.)

reproach

(v.) to scold, disapprove

(Brian ___ed the customer for failing to rewind the video he had rented.)

repudiate

(v.) to reject, refuse to accept

(Kwame made a strong case for an extension of his curfew, but his mother ___ed it with a few biting words.)

repulse

1. (v.) to disgust

(Antisocial Annie tried to ___ people by neglecting to brush her teeth.)

2. (v.) to push back

(With a deft movement of her wrist and a punch to the stomach, Lacy ___ed Jack's attempt to kiss her.)