SAT Vocab Study

kowtow

act in an excessively subservient manner

labyrinthine

complicated, perplexing, or maze-like

lambent

glowing, gleaming, or flickering with a soft radiance

languid

drooping or sluggish

libation

a drink poured out as an offering to a deity

lineage

descent and a direct line from an ancestor

loquacious

given to excessive talking

ludicrous

laughable because of obvious absurdity

lugubrious

exaggeratingly or effectively mournful

luminary

one who is notable in a particular field

maelstrom

powerful whirlpool or turmoil

manacle

 a handcuff or a restraint

masticate

to chew or to soften by crushing

mausoleum

a large elaborate tomb

mellifluous

smoothly flowing or sweet

metamorphosis

a transformation or a marked alteration

monolith

a single large stone often in the form of a column or a monument

nadir

the lowest point

nocturnal

pertaining to the night or active at night

nodule

a small lump

obdurate

hard or unmoved by persuasion

obsequious

servile or submissive

opulent

demonstrating great wealth or extravagant

oscillate

to swing back and forth

ostracize

to exclude from a group or to banish

ovation

enthusiastic display of approval

panorama

a wide unbroken view

paraphernalia

personal belongings or equipment

pariah

an outcast

parochial

relating to a church parish or limited in scope

penurious

stingy or extremely poor

pilfer

to steal insignificant items

pinion

to restrain by binding the arms or to hold fast

pinnacle

the highest point

plummet

to fall or plunge straight downward

pogrom

organized persecution or massacre

polyglot

using several languages

posh

elegant, fashionable

potable

fit to drink

precarious

dangerous, risky, or dependent on chance

progeny

offspring or descendants

projectile

a missile or something thrown

promontory

a high point of land or rock projecting into the water

prostrate

a straight line flat or face down

pugilist

fighter or boxer

pulchritude

physical beauty

queue

a waiting line, especially for persons or vehicles

ravenous

hungry or very eager

recalcitrant

stubbornly resistant to authority or restraint

remorse

regret for having done wrong

remuneration

reward or payment

rendezvous

an appointment or meeting

replicate

to duplicate; to repeat

reverberate

to echo or to resound

reverie

daydream or be lost in thought

roster

a list of names

ruminate

to ponder, to think over

salutary

promoting health; beneficial

sangfroid

poise, calmness especially under strain

satiated

fully fed

saturnine

gloomy or surly

scintillate

to sparkle or to flash

sediment

a matter that settles to the bottom of a liquid

seraph

an angel

sibilant

making a hissing sound

silhouette

a dark outline against a light background

sinewy

strong and firm; tough

somnambulist

sleepwalker

soporific

causing sleep

spectrum

a wide range or sequence

symposium

a meeting to discuss a particular topic

taciturn

disincline to talk or silent

tantalize

to tease by keeping something out of reach

tendril

a coiling part of a climbing plant which serves to attach itself to a support

timorous

easily frightened or timid

titanic

huge, powerful

tortuous

winding, twisting or devious

transpose

to reverse the order of, or place of

tributary

a stream or river flowing into a larger stream or river

truculent

savage, fierce

truncated

cut off shortly

valor

courage or bravery

verve

energy or liveliness

vie

strive, compete, contend

vintage

classic, outstanding, old

virtuoso

person with unusual skill in any field particularly in the arts

votary

a person devoted to something

wanderlust

strong impulse to travel

whet

to sharpen or to stimulate

xenophobia

fear or hatred of strangers or foreigners

halcyon

a period of time in the past that was idyllically happy and peaceful

amalgam

a mixture or blend

ambrosial

delicious, fragrant, divine

bona fide

made in good faith or genuine

gossamer

something light; delicate; spiderwebs

gyrate

move or cause to move in a circle or spiral, especially quickly

escalate

to enlarge or to increase

circumvent

find a way around (usually an obstacle)

exodus

a mass departure of people, especially emigrants

gregarious

living in groups; or social