HARD SAT WORDS

Abjure

formally reject or disavow a formerly held belief

Abrogate

revoke formally

Abject

of the most contemptible kind

Aberration

a state or condition markedly different from the norm

Abnegation

the denial and rejection of a doctrine or belief

Apocryphal

being of questionable authenticity

Engender

call forth

Inane

devoid of intelligence

Officious

intrusive in a meddling or offensive manner

Ostracism

the act of excluding someone from society by general consent

Pernicious

exceedingly harmful

Punctilious

marked by precise accordance with details

Abscond

run away, often taking something or somebody along

Abstruse

difficult to understand

Accede

yield to another's wish or opinion

Accost

approach and speak to someone aggressively or insistently

Accretion

an increase by natural growth or addition

Acumen

shrewdness shown by keen insight

Adamant

insistent; unwilling to change one's mind or opinion

Admonish

scold or reprimand; take to task

Adumbrate

describe roughly or give the main points or summary of

Adverse

in an opposing direction

Advocate

a person who pleads for a person, cause, or idea

Affluent

having an abundant supply of money or possessions of value

Aggrandize

embellish; increase the scope, power, or importance of

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 ex-communication

Annex

attach to

Antediluvian

of or relating to the period before the biblical flood

Antiseptic

thoroughly clean and free of disease-causing organisms

Apathetic

showing little or no emotion or animation

Antithesis

the exact opposite

Approbation

official acceptance or agreement

Arbitrary

based on or subject to individual discretion or preference

Arboreal

of or relating to or formed by trees

Arcane

requiring secret or mysterious knowledge

Archetypal

of an original pattern on which other things are modelled

Arrogate

seize and take control without authority

Ascetic

someone who practises 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

lacking or deprived of something

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

emotionally hardened

Calumny

a false accusation of an offence

Camaraderie

the quality of affording easy familiarity and sociability

Candour

the quality of being honest and straightforward

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

draw a geometric figure around another figure

Circumvent

surround so as to force to give up

Clamour

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

having or showing knowledge or understanding or realisation

commensurate

corresponding in size or degree or extent

Complement

something added to embellish or make perfect

Compunction

a feeling of deep regret, usually for some misdeed

Concomitant

following or accompanying as a consequence

Conduit

a passage 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

one of the individual parts making up a composite entity

Construe

make sense of; assign a meaning to

Contusion

an injury in which the skin is not broken

Contrite

feeling or expressing pain or sorrow for sins or offences

Contentious

showing an inclination to disagree

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

Cupidity

extreme greed for material wealth

Dearth

an insufficient quantity or number

Debacle

a sudden and complete disaster

Debauch

a wild gathering involving excessive drinking

Debunk

expose while ridiculing

Defunct

no longer in force or use; inactive

Demagogue

a leader who seeks support by appealing to popular passions

Denigrate

attack the good name and reputation of someone

Derivative

a compound obtained from another compound

Despot

a cruel and oppressive dictator